Countries have been born, and states have ceased to be, alliances formed and broken, political movements have had their genesis, people have been empowered and subdued. The break-up of the Soviet Union and the formation of the countries thereafter, the creation of the EU, the end of Apartheid, equal rights, women's right to vote, the Kyoto agreement, war, and many other changes - great and small - have all had successes, failures, implications and consequences, but are united by the fact that they have all played a part in shaping the world as we see it today, our attitudes and our actions.Some well-known since the classroom, others a new discovery or insight, Defining Moments in History charts the most significant historical, social, political and cultural moments of the last one hundred years and places each event, person, movement and idea in context to provide a comprehensive understanding of a century of world history.